Craig is set to star opposite the likes of Jean Dujardin, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Bonneville and Bob Balaban in Clooney's upcoming high-profile period drama.
- Oct 30, 2012
AceShowbiz - George Clooney has assembled a killer cast for his upcoming directorial stint, "The Monuments Men". As if attaching himself to star in the period drama project is not enough, the lead actor of "The Descendants" recruits a host of A-listers to join his ambitious gig. Among those who are tapped in the project is none other than Daniel Craig, who has lately been stealing attention for his well-reviewed performance as James Bond in "Skyfall".
According to Deadline, Craig will join a starry cast ensemble that includes the likes of "The Artist" actor Jean Dujardin, "Argo" star John Goodman, "Lost in Translation" thesp Bill Murray, and "The Aviator" actress Cate Blanchett. Also supporting the film are Hugh Bonneville and Bob Balaban.
Details of what characters Craig and the rest of the actors will play are still kept secret, but it is said that Clooney is set to go behind the lens on March 1, 2013 in Europe. The crew behind the film will be the same one who worked for Ben Affleck's "Argo", which Clooney produced along with Grant Heslov.
Based on Robert M. Edsel's book "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History", the film will follow a group of art experts chosen by the U.S. government to find artwork stolen by the Nazis during the World War II era. Clooney will not only direct and star in it, but he will also serve as the writer and producer alongside Heslov.
"It's a fun movie because it could be big entertainment. It's a big budget, you can't do it small, it's landing in Normandy," Clooney once said of his next project. "Grant and I have been trying to find a project. I'm not opposed to doing a commercial film, I'm just opposed to doing a commercial film that doesn't feel organic to me. So if we're going to do a commercial film we thought, 'Let's do something that seems fun and actually have something to say'."
Clooney and Heslov had previously made some political or socially-oriented movies. Aside from "Argo", the two co-produced last year's "The Ides of March", 2005's "Good Night and Good Luck", and 2009's war film "The Men Who Stare at Goats".
